A hail of gunfire announced the approach of soldiers, causing Cinder to turn his head. The sound of war came from all directions, making it impossible for him to tell who might be coming. It didn't particularly matter, either. At this point, both sides were likely to see him as an enemy and kill him on sight. Reaching down into the fire he had been tending, Cinder let it coil about his arm like a pet snake, leaving only ashes on the ground. He felt the heat of the fire, but knew it would not burn him, and he had long ago burned away the sleeve that would go over his right arm.

When three soldiers appeared, in standard issue System body armor, they stopped at the sight of the flames. Their mistake.

"I'm never going back. Not alive." A flick of Cinder's wrist sent the flames out to consume one man before any of the three opened fire. The man screamed as he cooked inside the armor, and the other two started shooting in controlled bursts. As he dropped and rolled away, Cinder exerted his will on the burning husk he had created, spreading the flame to the legs of the other men. They screamed too, and Cinder grinned. It was satisfying to get just a little more revenge on those who had created him, and he stood watching the flames for a few minutes.

Before they could die out, he strode over to scoop them back onto his arm. Walking away from the direction the soldiers had come, Cinder unknowingly headed towards the leader of the resistance.